1,2-Dithiacyclohexa-3,5-dienes, also referred to as 1,2-dithiins, are a class of compounds that have the 1,2-dithiabenzene ring 1 where two contiguous CH groups of the benzene ring ##STR1## are replaced by two sulfur atoms. For this reason, considerable attention has been focused as to whether this heterocyclic system, being analogous to that of benzene, retains aromaticity (see, e.g., Aihara, J. Bull.Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1990, 63, 2899-2903; review: Freeman, F. et al. Sulfur Reports 1989, 9, 207-246). Results from spectroscopic and computational studies indicate that the heterocyclic ring is anti-aromatic and adopts a half-chair conformation 2 where the two sulfur atoms are placed above and below of the skewed (27.6.degree.) diene moiety with twist angles of C.dbd.C--S and CS--SC being 122.degree.and 54.2.degree., respectively (Borsdorf, R et al. Tetrahedron 1990, 26, 3227-3231; Cimiraglia, R. et al. J.Mol.Str. (Theochem) 1991,230,287-293). These anti-aromatic, 1,2-dithiin-containing compounds have also been found in nature (Freeman, F. et al. Sulfur Reports 1989, 9, 207-246). Nearly a dozen such natural products have been isolated primarily from the Asteraceae plants. It is also of considerable interest to note that all of these 1,2-dithiin natural products contain a multitude of acetylene groups. A number of naturally occurring 1,2-dithiin compounds such as thiarubrine A (3) and B (4) ##STR2## are extremely toxic, but they also exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activity, including antiviral and antibiotic activities (Towers, G. H. N. et al. Planta Medica 1985, 3,225-229, incorporated herein by reference). Thiarubrine compounds are known for their useful antifungal and bacteriocidal properties from U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,348 dated Apr. 13, 1993, incorporated herein by reference. The compounds are light sensitive and need to be used and stored in the dark. While the modes of biological activities of these polyacetylene-1,2-dithiins remain uncertain, it has been suggested that the 1, 2-dithiin heterocycle portion of these natural products is responsible for their characteristic biological properties (Constabel, C. P.; Towers, G. H. N., Planta Medica 1989, 55, 35-37). In addition, since the presence of polyacetylenic functional groups is well known to cause adverse cytotoxicity (Towers, G. H. N.; Champagne, D. B. In Chemistry and Biology of Naturally-occurring Acetylenes and Related Compounds (NOARC), ed by Lam, J. et al. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1988, 139-149), considerable synthetic efforts have been devoted to the synthesis of the 1,2-dithiin heterocycle exclusive of any acetylenic functionality (Freeman, E. et al. Sulfur Reports 1989, 9, 207-246). Approaches reported in both the first synthesis of 1,2-dithiin molecules (Schroth, W. et al. Angew. Chem. Int.Ed.Engl. 1967,6,698-699) and a recent improved synthesis (Koreeda, M. and Yang, W. Synlett. 1994, 201-203, incorporated herein by reference) commence with the stereo- and regioselective formation of bis-sulfide 6 by the addition of a benzylthioate anion to 1,4-disubstituted 1,3-butadiyne 5, in a series of steps as follows: ##STR3## where R represents Ph, H, CH.sub.2 OH or C.tbd.CH. Reductive removal of the benzyl group of the key intermediate 6 under dissolving metal conditions in liquid ammonia and subsequent oxidative disulfide bond formation provide 1,2-dithiins 7. Although these 1,2-dithiin-containing molecules hold great promise for medicinal applications, their use as efficacious medicines may be severely limited due to their water insolubility.